Cristiano Ronaldo struck his first La Liga goal of the season five
minutes from time to save Real Madrid from losing more ground in the
title race with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Getafe on Saturday.
Real looked on course for a comfortable three points when Karim Benzema fired the visitors into a deserved half-time lead.
However, Jorge Molina’s equaliser early in the second half and an
incredible miss by Ronaldo left the European champions needing a late
saviour.

And Ronaldo rode to the rescue and made amends for his earlier profligacy with an accurate volleyed finish into the far corner.
Victory takes Real up to second and within four points of Barcelona, who travel to Atletico Madrid later on Saturday.
Despite being shorn of Gareth Bale, Dani Carvajal and Keylor Navas
through injury and illness, Zinedine Zidane surprisingly left Luka
Modric and Isco on the bench after their exertions on international duty
and with one eye on Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Tottenham
Hotspur.
However, that decision backfired as once again Zidane’s men produced a lacklustre performance in La Liga.
Real dropped points at home to Valencia, Levante and Real Betis to
allow Barcelona to open up a seven-point gap at the top of the table and
even failed to find their top form in seeing off Alaves and Espanyol in
recent weeks.
Part of Madrid’s problem has been Ronaldo’s poor league form since returning from an early season five-game suspension.
Ronaldo’s first effort did at least produce a stunning save from
Vicente Guaita as he drove Benzema’s neat layoff goalward from the edge
of the box.
Guaita was left helpless six minutes before half-time, though, when
Benzema latched onto Ronaldo’s pass and kept his composure to fire low
into the far corner for his first league goal of the season.
Getafe had barely threatened before levelling in fortunate
circumstances 11 minutes into the second half when Molina bundled home
Francisco Portillo’s low cross despite appearing to be in an offside
position.
The equaliser awoke Real from their second-half slumber and Guaita
produced another great double save to block at Ronaldo’s feet before
tipping Marcelo’s follow-up effort over.
Ronaldo drilled a free-kick just wide, but his embarrassing moment was still to come 17 minutes from time.
With the goal at his mercy as the ball rebounded into his path from a
free-kick, the Portuguese somehow skewed wide at the far post.
Zidane threw on Isco, Theo Hernandez and Borja Mayoral from the bench in the search for a winner.
And it was Isco who provided the inspiration as his through ball
released Ronaldo to finally break his duck in La Liga for the season by
firing into the far corner.
Getafe could still have salvaged a point in stoppage time when Mehdi
Lacen’s shot flew inches over with Real ‘keeper Kiko Casilla stranded.
Real jump into second thanks to Sevilla’s 1-0 defeat to Athletic
Bilbao earlier on Saturday as Mikel Vesga got the only goal two minutes
before half-time.